23: A Date to Remember

Mr. Impossible

———

The next evening, Shen Qingqiu found himself standing in front of the mirror in his room, staring at his reflection with an expression of disbelief.

He had spent the entire day trying to talk himself out of the date Binghe had so casually invited him on,

but somehow, here he was—dressed in something other than his usual robes and with far more attention to detail than he had ever planned on giving his appearance.

"Why am I even doing this?"

Shen Qingqiu muttered to himself, adjusting the collar of his outfit for the third time, as though that would somehow make him look more indifferent.

He gave himself a hard look in the mirror.

"This is madness. You're being ridiculous."

As if the universe had been waiting for him to finally accept his fate, a knock echoed from his door.

"Are you ready, or should I just burst in and sweep you off your feet?"

came Binghe's voice, teasing as ever.

Shen Qingqiu sighed deeply, muttering under his breath.

"Why do I feel like I'm the one being swept away in this situation?"

"I heard that!" Binghe called from the other side, clearly amused.

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes and opened the door, prepared for whatever madness Binghe had in store.

He had barely managed to steady his heartbeat when he saw Binghe standing there, grinning from ear to ear, looking absolutely... too charming for his own good.

"Ready to go?" Binghe asked, eyes twinkling with excitement. His outfit was more casual than usual but still impeccably styled, and he looked so... relaxed. Too relaxed.

As if this were just another night of hanging out—except Shen Qingqiu could feel the weight of the word date in the air.

Shen Qingqiu glared at him, his hand instinctively reaching up to adjust his collar again. "You're ridiculous."

Binghe shrugged with an exaggerated sigh, a mockingly bored expression on his face.

"I know. It's a gift."

"Right," Shen Qingqiu muttered. "Let's just get this over with."

Binghe raised an eyebrow. "If you keep acting like that, you're going to ruin the mood."

"It's not like I was planning on being all romantic or anything," Shen Qingqiu retorted, trying to keep his voice steady despite the knot in his stomach.

Binghe chuckled, stepping forward and giving him an exaggerated once-over.

"I think you were, actually. Look at you. You're practically glowing." He grinned mischievously.

"I'm pretty sure you've been spending the whole day looking in the mirror to see if your hair's in the perfect position."

Shen Qingqiu froze, feeling his face turn uncomfortably hot. "I-I was not!"

"Oh, sure," Binghe teased, clearly enjoying the effect he was having. "You're just naturally this flawless, huh? No need to check."

"Shut up," Shen Qingqiu muttered, rubbing his face in exasperation. "You're making this more difficult than it needs to be."

"Hey, I'm just here for the fun," Binghe said, giving him a wink.

"No need to make this complicated. I'm taking you out on a date, Qingqiu. Let's see if you can survive the night without running away from me again."

"Is this going to be a running theme with you?" Shen Qingqiu grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Absolutely." Binghe grinned. "I'm going to be so charming that you'll want to stick around, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Shen Qingqiu shot back, but despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

They left the room and made their way to a secluded spot in the city, one that Shen Qingqiu had only ever heard of in rumors—an upscale restaurant known for its breathtaking views and delectable food.

The walk was quiet, though not uncomfortable, and Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but notice how easy it was to be with Binghe in this moment.

It was almost like everything they'd been through had been forgotten—if only for tonight.

They arrived at the restaurant, and as they were led to their table,

Shen Qingqiu's attention was momentarily stolen by the soft lighting and the scenic view of the city below. It was beautiful—almost surreal in its elegance.

Binghe, on the other hand, seemed completely at home in the lavish surroundings. "See? I told you this would be nice. I'm a man of taste," he said smugly, taking a seat.

"You really are something else," Shen Qingqiu muttered as he sat across from him, though there was no malice in his words.

He couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of the situation.

He had come here to avoid the complications of his feelings, and yet, the night was unfolding in a way he hadn't expected. Binghe's teasing had lightened the mood, making it seem more like a casual evening than anything serious.

The waiter arrived to take their orders, and the evening passed with surprising ease.

They bantered back and forth, with Binghe stealing glances at Shen Qingqiu every now and then, making sarcastic comments about the menu, and often prompting Shen Qingqiu to roll his eyes or mutter under his breath.

"You're impossible," Shen Qingqiu repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I know," Binghe replied with a grin, taking a sip of his wine. "But you love it."

Shen Qingqiu was about to argue, but then he paused. He thought of all the times he'd told himself to keep his distance, all the times he'd tried to protect Binghe from himself.

But right now, in this moment, it was hard to deny the warmth in his chest—the part of him that was slowly beginning to believe that maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something more.

"You're right about one thing," Shen Qingqiu finally said, his voice softening. "I don't know what's going to happen next. But for tonight… I'm not running. I'm here."

Binghe's expression softened too, his teasing smile giving way to something more genuine. "Good. Because I wouldn't want to chase you around again."

Shen Qingqiu let out a quiet laugh, the tension easing between them. "Yeah. I think we've had enough of that."

And so, as the night wore on, Shen Qingqiu found himself slowly letting go of the worries that had kept him on edge for so long.

Maybe, just maybe,

there was a future for them after all.